Sarno Black Box review

John Goux · From: California, USA

Iâ€™m a tube amp guy for life, but lately Iâ€™ve had back troubles that make carrying the heavy amps a drag.
Itâ€™s not that I think solid state sounds bad, but I think tubes sound better, and feel better.

I decided to audition the Sarno Black Box and Milkman The Amp to see if putting them in front of a light solid state amp would please my ears.

I received the Black Box a few days ago and am extremely impressed with it.

My usual rig is a Zum s/c, Goodrich passive 500k pedal with a split for the amp and tuner.
I use Blackface style amps, usually a vintage Pro Reverb.

I auditioned the BB with the PR, and a Fishman Loudbox Mini, which is a SS acoustic guitar monitor that sounds OK for playing steel at practice room volume, but ultimately irritates me. It is a worst case scenario for what solid state sounds like with steel.

I lost track of how many times I said â€œWowâ€ while testing the BB.

With the Pro Reverb, it added a dimensionality, made the steel more even across registers, and added sustain. I would not have believed that claim about sustain, but the Zum was singing better than ever in the high register.

Also, the knob gives you a subtle EQ to add highs or reduce them on the fly. Unity EQ is at about 1 oâ€™clock on the tone knob.

The results with the PR were a pleasant improvement, but not dramatic. More obvious to player than listener.

With the Fishman, the improvement was substantial. Same improvements, but it took a cold solid state sound and gave it a bounce and life like a tube amp. It was transformed.

The BB gives me hope that an old tube amp guy like me can be satisfied with a light solid state rig.

I tried the BB in every spot in the signal chain. Just before the amp. Between the guitar and volume pedal. After the guitar and using the tuner out off the BB.
All sounded slightly different, but great. Pulling the Peterson HD out, either off the VP, or off the BB tuner out, made a very slight improvement every time.
I also tested the tone with the volume pedal cocked at 1/3 with great results.

My favorite was right after the guitar, because the tube compression effect was consistent at all volumes. But Iâ€™ll probably run it just before the amp, for convenience. I donâ€™t have a problem with a good passive volume pedal.

I also like how OD pedals interact with tubes. Putting the BB between a pedalboard and solid state amp makes sense.

My only complaint with this unit is, why no On/Off switch? You should not leave a tube plugged in the wall and turned on. So you have to pull the AC cable out of the unit, or use a power strip with a light on it. And remember to turn it off.

This unit is highly recommended!
John

Derrick Unger · From: Newark Ohio, USA

Thanks for the review John..been thinking about pulling the trigger for one of these..Question..I have a couple fender amps like a Princeton 112 Plus for example and the tone is to icepicky,,trebly..and this is with the treble totally off and the bass all the way up..to brittle..do you think a black box would soften the high end a little?
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Music is good for the soul..playing it is even better! Gretsch6strLapSteel*PeaveyNashville400*HudsonSD-10*DigitechRP360*FenderChampion100*PeaveyKB300*Goodrich120*Behringerx1204*BehringerMini4*Mullen S10"Discovery"*Peavey Vegas400*Princeton112plus*SuperChampX2*SidekickReverb65*Rumble100*MarshallMG50DFX*Nashville112

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Derrick, I had the same problem with my Evans. Too bright, even With the treble all the way off. With it's variable Z tone control, the Black Box solved the problem. Brad's Freeloader will also work. It's a solid state tone control built into a small box that will clip onto the steel guitar leg.The Black Box has the Freeloader built in, but has the addition of the tube. The Black Box would be my 1st choice and the Freeloader,my 2nd choice.

John Goux · From: California, USA

Yes it will help. The knob works as a high end attenuation.

I own both the Freeloader and the Black Box. The FL works as a buffer and tone adjustment. The Black Box does that, but adds tube sweetness and sustain. Itâ€™s on a whole other level.

Today I noticed one negative about the BB that I had not noticed before.
I had planned to set it on top of my Blackface amp. But it causes a noticeable 60 cycle hum, a field related hum between the transformers. I had to raise it about 9 inches off the amp to stop the hum. So it will either go on the floor beside the amp, or on the leg of the steel. Wasnâ€™t planning on that. I donâ€™t know if there is a bracket available for leg mount for the BB.

Anyone know?
John

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Yeah, the Black Box does have a robust 300v power supply and transformer inside. So placing it on top of a Fender amp presents a problem. The Fender amp (most tube amps) are designed with their big transformer far to the right and the sensitive audio signals far to the left. If you put a Black Box on top of the amp to the left, the Black Box's transformer hum radiation can radiate down into the amp's audio circuit. If you place the Black Box to the right, then the amp's hum radiation can get into the Black Box's audio path. So it's not an ideal place for the Black Box.

The IDEAL place for the Black Box is on the floor just to the right of the volume pedal.

Some people have clamped the Black Box onto the leg of their steel, but I generally don't recommend that both because it's heavy and mostly because this same hum radiation can then get into the pickup if it's too close. Most humbuckers will reject it, but a single coil will really pick it up.

Regarding the on/off switch, we wanted the Black Box to be a tank, as road rugged as possible knowing that gear gets banged around a lot, especially when smaller in size. A power switch is just another thing that can go bad, get broken, fail over time. And most steel guitar rigs are powered off of a single power strip, so when the day is done, just flip the switch on the power strip.

Also, since we're only running a single triode tube in there, they consume very little power and often have many thousands of hours of life in them. Leaving the Black Box on is kind of like leaving on a night light. In my music room, I've literally left my Black Box on for months on end. And when using a Black Box in any given day, it's best to let them warm up and settle in for their best tone. Better to just leave it on all day (or all thru a gig and setbreaks). I wouldn't say that about a tube amplifier, but a single preamp tube, it's just a trickle and there isn't much heat.

Thanks so much for sharing your feedback John!! I'm so glad you're enjoying the simple magic of a cleanly run vacuum tube in the steel guitar signal path.

Best,
Brad

www.sarnomusicsolutions.com

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Brad, how long does it take for the tube to warm up and do it's best?

Derrick Unger · From: Newark Ohio, USA

Thanks Brad...I'd like to see this thread pick up momemtum..I know there are a lot of Black Box users out there, would be nice to hear their opinions and success and failures.
_________________
Music is good for the soul..playing it is even better! Gretsch6strLapSteel*PeaveyNashville400*HudsonSD-10*DigitechRP360*FenderChampion100*PeaveyKB300*Goodrich120*Behringerx1204*BehringerMini4*Mullen S10"Discovery"*Peavey Vegas400*Princeton112plus*SuperChampX2*SidekickReverb65*Rumble100*MarshallMG50DFX*Nashville112

Derrick Unger · From: Newark Ohio, USA

Thanks Brad...I'd like to see this thread pick up momemtum..I know there are a lot of Black Box users out there, would be nice to hear their opinions and success and failures.
_________________
Music is good for the soul..playing it is even better! Gretsch6strLapSteel*PeaveyNashville400*HudsonSD-10*DigitechRP360*FenderChampion100*PeaveyKB300*Goodrich120*Behringerx1204*BehringerMini4*Mullen S10"Discovery"*Peavey Vegas400*Princeton112plus*SuperChampX2*SidekickReverb65*Rumble100*MarshallMG50DFX*Nashville112

Barry Coker · From: Bagley Alabama, USA

I've tried an Izzy, Match Box and all kinds of pedals on solid state amps and never been able to get the sound I like I picked up a Black Box here off the Forum and will not be without it. Its Great with any amp S/S or Tube.

Its kind of like Duck Tape for sound It'll Fix it.

Barry

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Thanks, Brad. This will change my set-up protocol. First thing I will do now is plug in my Black Box.

Foster Haney · From: Ojai, CA

Has anyone had any trouble with hum when close to guitar pedals? I was thinking of mounting the black box on the underside of a new pedal board
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George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I use Brad's Freeloader to solve the too bright issue. They change the load on the pickup and clip onto the guitar leg and operate on a 9 volt battery. The newer models have a tuner out. I love having a tone control at my fingertips.The variable Z control on the Black Box and the Freeloader are one in the same. I've had two Black Boxes, but find with my Evans amps, I don't really need the tube buffer in the Black Box.

Larry Beem · From: Iowa, USA

Brad is right about rugged!! I have had a couple accidents involving a BB. Dropped it out of a van recently right on the concrete, and kept running. I had it fall in a snow bank for a couple days before I found it, it kept running.
I have got where I am used to the warmth it provides and dont ever play without one.
I had a bass player use mine a couple years ago, and he bought one the next day.
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Williams 700 series D10 8 and 5,
Rittenberry Prestige SD10 4 and 5
Stereo Steel, NV400, Fender Twin Tone Master, Sarno BB, Lil Izzy's, Goodrich Matchbox......on and on ......

Kevin Mincke · From: Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA

I have used my BB with many SS amps (614 Webb, GP Webb,Steel King,400/500, 80XL, Steelman 500) even with my twin reverbs since it is on my pedal board and is straight from guitar into BB. Been this way for years. I set my board up and power everything on and let the BB achieve its warmth so its ready for play. I've never had a problem with it being on all the time while playing. I have the older version 12AU7 with the tuner out (I disconnect my Peterson also) and has the variable to dial in the sweet spot.Natural goodness.

Mike Ester · From: New Braunfels, Texas, USA

I received my new Black Box yesterday. I got to the gig, set it up, and I could tell that there was a difference. Even our bass player said that they could hear the difference.

The best way I can describe the change is that it is subtle, but effective. I have never owned a tube amp because of the expense and weight. But this Black Box is a game changer for my solid-state world.

I especially like the separate tuner jack. I like to keep my Stroboflip at the ready during a gig, but the tone change was a dealbreaker for me.

Brad, thanks for a wonderful product. I should have bought a Black Box years ago.
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2005 Carter S12U 7x5
1978 Sho-Bud Pro II Custom 8x4

If you can't be a good example, be a horrible warning.

Patrick Huey · From: Nacogdoches, Texas, USA

Gene Tani · From: Pac NW

I'll just flip the Black box and tube head on and start playing 2 minutes later and then maybe a half hour in, it starts, suddenly, it sounds really good! I've been playing sterling silver picks into Scott Swartz pickup into Black box into Darkglass compressor, which is the best of everything.

Sporting goods shops should have some kind of cases like this depending on how much padding you need

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/rangemaxx-pistol-case

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/plano-se-single-pistol-case

(Probably you'd have to cut foam down in the hard case, but 14 bucks.
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John Limbach · From: Billings, Montana, USA

I don't play out so my BB is plugged in here at all times and has been on for at least 10 years. Since there's no on/off switch, it's always warmed up. One of these days if I get the urge, I'll take out the tube and test it. But, since it works just fine, why bother?

Hope this reassures any who are worried about leaving it on for long periods.

Tommy Shown · From: Denham Springs, La.

I have one it does what it says I need to get it fixed because like a dummy, I dropped mine on concrete and was getting some noise.
Brad does make an excellent product.

Scott Denniston · From: Hahns Peak, Colorado, USA

The same tube has been in mine for a very long time. In fact I've left town three or four months a couple of times forgetting to unplug it. I have some new ECC-83 tubes laying around so I popped one in. Made a profound difference! I've never found words to describe what it does but I'm going to say opens it up and brings out clarity.

Miles Lang · From: Venturaloha

I just found a Black Box at the studio where I record. The studio guy got it from an estate sale of a local musician, but really didnâ€™t know what it did. Unfortunately, I had already cut the steel tracks for this album, but on the next one, Iâ€™m gonna hook it up
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